the role of sound in film
This assignment is divided into two parts. The first is to the role of music, sound effects and folio in three different pieces of film. These examples can be taken from movies, television programmes or advertising. I have decided to choose the following three examples:As you will see, I have chosen each piece because of a particular role the music has played.First let me give you some background on Stanley Kubrick's horror classic from 1977. Tim Dirks defines it as "a beautiful, stylish work which distanced itself from the blood-letting and gore of most modern films in the horror genre". The plot is this: The Overlook hotel is situated in a place that suffers immensely during the winter months, and therefore only opens for seven months each year. Because of this, when it is closed, someone must stay there to maintain it, and do things like run the boiler to heat several parts of the building and doing repairs so that "the elements can't get a foothold". Jack Torrance, an out of work teacher trying to get back into writing novels, takes on the job and he and his family move up there for the winter. Before they go, Jack
I have let the recording run on for an extra minute or so to demonstrate this technique. This music is also used later on in the film when the teenagers are having a party at a house in the woods where they are not supposed to be. Had the music been different it could have made the scene interpreted in a very different way V for example, you could have been made to think that her Uncle was cruelly embarrassing her, and made to feel sorry for her. At this point the only other sound heard apart from the bells and building terminator music is the clicking sound of the two guns being cockedK the music builds and builds untilK! Bang, bangK bang! You are not sure who is shot at first but there is no music at all whilst the gun is firing. You don't even have to look at the screen to know that the terminator is about to get up and go after his victim V the music tells you everything you need to know. When this happens the music very subtly changes and the theme music is placed in the background. The track used is called "Polymorphia" and is by Krzysztof Penderecki, a polish composer born in 1933. Imediately this lets you know that someone is coming up behind her. A red laser points right at Miss Connor's head and she looks shocked and terrified, unable to move. It starts off quite gradually and faint, while Wendy walks into the room with a baseball bat in her hand. However, the way the soundtack is put together here Kubrick still creates the same feeling, even though the character speaks very softly. This makes the movie much easier for people to watch and take in pieces of information quickly. I was quite surprised to find this out, as the music throughout all of The Shining fits each scene perfectly as if it was composed while closely observing the sequence of events in the film. Sarah looks up at a mirror opposite her and sees the man she has seen following her earlier (her protector V unknown to her at this time). The scene I have chosen is when Sarah is alone in a night-club.
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